


Stronger Than Me

by Fanofthearts



Category: Holby City
Genre: BMAM, Cuddling, Elinor Campbell Lives, F/F, Kinda fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 16:48:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18996601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanofthearts/pseuds/Fanofthearts
Summary: Short little reflection on what might have happened had Elinor lived.





	Stronger Than Me

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Iordio for looking over this one so quick

“She’s the strongest person I know.”

Elinor rolled her eyes and looked back down at her phone. “Her own children still won’t talk to her, she’s half crippled, and the woman can’t be bothered to straighten her shoes when she walks in the door. How can you consider her strong?”

Serena bit her tongue, felt her ire course through her, her anger blazing hot. She had to take a few deep breaths to bite back the vicious words on her lips. It had only been six months since the accident. Elinor was back in her own flat having only moved out of Serena’s house last weekend.

It had been touch and go for two weeks. Two weeks of hell, unknowing whether or not they would have to decide on ending Ellie’s life support. Edward and her fought tooth and nail, hissing and spitting at each other, but one constant through it all was Bernie. Her beautiful, lovely, wonderfully strong Bernie. She never left her side.

When the time came for Ellie to be discharged home it was Bernie who drove them, it was Bernie who helped make the house more accessible for Elinor who needed to relearn how to walk, it was Bernie who took Elinor back and forth from therapy while Serena was on shift. And yet…

“She has been here for me these past six months and must I remind you she was here for you also.” She stood smoothing her trousers and edging towards the door. She refused to have another argument about Bernie with her daughter. She dropped a kiss on Elinor’s head. “Call if you need anything darling.”

Walking to her car, Serena tried to hold her tears in. She wished the two most important people in her life could get along. It wasn’t from Bernie’s lack of trying, but at every corner Elinor would block her. Bernie chalked it up to recovering from her drug addiction but Serena had a feeling it ran deeper than that.

Trudging into the house Serena toed her shoes off and shrugged out of her coat, it was mid May but the air still had a nip. It was late; late by her standards when she was on shift in the morning. Climbing the stairs she pushed into her bedroom and smiled when she saw Bernie. Reading glasses perched on her nose, lamp light casting a soft glow across her face as she read the Lancet. “Hello, darling .” She smiled closing the magazine and pulling off her glasses.

“Hi.” She smiled tiredly. She dropped her trousers and shed her blouse before padding into the bathroom. Making quick work of her makeup and brushing her teeth she slid into bed as Bernie reached to turn out the light.

“How was she?”

Serena shrugged, “Prickly as ever, I really don’t understand. I thought this…accident would make her see the error in her ways. Since she has been clean it's almost made it worse.”

Bernie’s hand rucked up Serena’s shirt, her fingers tracing patterns on her bare skin. “I know, but it will be okay. It will get better, give her time.”

Serena took a deep breath, “I don’t know how you can defend her like you do. After the way she has treated you…”

Long fingers worked into Serena’s greying hair; since the accident she hadn’t found time to dye it, and Bernie had to admit she much preferred it. Things had changed between them, they had both aged more in the past six months than they had in the last six years. Bernie had lost weight, and Serena bore worry lines that were now permanently etched into her face. “She’s yours.” They had this conversation quite a lot in the past. Serena so upset at her daughter's cutting words, her rude attitude towards her partner. Every time she brought it up, Bernie came to Elinor’s defence. “And because she is yours I love her as I love you, as I love Jason.”

Bernie would press her lips, set her jaw and change the subject away from herself to deflect form Elinor’s barbs, they hurt yes but Serena came so close to losing her daughter, losing her only child. Bernie couldn’t fathom that kind of loss. Instead she swallowed down the pain, squared her shoulders and soldiered on.

Serena sighed and nuzzled her face against Bernie’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“I know.” Bernie kissed Serena’s forehead. “I love you too.”

The room fell quiet, the only sound was the ceiling fan on low humming quietly above them. After a bit Serena spoke, “I told her you were the strongest person I know.”

Letting out a bark of laughter Bernie squeezed her shoulders. “What? Why would you say that?”

Serena shrugged and snuggled even closer her eyes starting to droop, “You’re always here for me. For us, all of us.” She took a deep breath, breathing in Bernie’s clean scent, the smell of freshly washed sheets, and the remnants of the candle she had burning last night. “My rock, that’s what you are.” Her fingers traced a scar on Bernie’s left arm. The one she told her she got as a child falling out of an apple tree she wasn’t supposed to be climbing up.

“I always will be.” Her voice was rough, whether it was sleep or emotion Serena’s sleep laden brain wasn’t sure.

“Love you.” She murmured.

“Love you too.”

Serena’s last thought was how lovely it was to be held like this every night. Her first realisation in the morning would be how wonderful it was to wake up with Bernie in her arms.


End file.
